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5 point guards the Miami Heat could target in the 2017 NBA Draft

By Frank Urbina

Dec 11, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) calls a play against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Nevada defeated Washington, 87-85. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) calls a play against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Nevada defeated Washington, 87-85. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dennis Smith

Nov 29, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) brings the ball up the court during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center. Illinois beat North Carolina State 88 to 74. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) brings the ball up the court during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center. Illinois beat North Carolina State 88 to 74. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports /

Dennis Smith is a guy we didn’t get to cover in our first NBA Draft post. He’s a freshman that plays for the 7-2 NC State Wolfpack, and was the seventh overall prospect coming out of high school.

Despite his limited height and length (he’s 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-3 wingspan), Smith is a high-flyer who can throw it down on you:

https://twitter.com/JamieShaw5/status/805491672008290304

Smith’s game can best be described as that of a combo guard. Though he is a solid distributor who is averaging five assists per game, the young Wolfpack player is still more of a score-first guy. And that’s fine, considering that today’s NBA is dominated by that type of “point guard.”

The freshman leads his team in scoring at 18 points per game, though he struggles with his efficiency. His field goal percentage is low–sitting at 40 percent for the year thus far.

His three-point shooting is also a big question mark. Though he attempts four of them per game, he’s been ice cold from deep, shooting 26 percent from three through nine games.

Smith has another red flag too. He missed his entire senior year of high school due to a torn ACL that he suffered during the Adidas Nationals semi-finals. Thankfully, it seems that the injury hasn’t taken away any of his elite athleticism:

https://twitter.com/JamieShaw5/status/808012207455895552

But still, it’s fair to question: how will a player who’s already limited by smallish size and mediocre length respond to further knee damage? If Smith loses just a step athletically, his lack of three-point shooting and size could be his downfall in the NBA.

Further, Miami already has two players similar to Smith in Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson. Neither are as talented as the freshman star, but both are young and fill the same “combo guard” role for the Heat. Could Riley be better served looking at more of a pure point guard instead?

Regardless, Smith can fill up the scoring column, is a great mid-range player, and is a good enough distributor to run the point at the next level. The Heat would be elated to land him.

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